Best Intentions, Worst Mistakes
by StarOfFeanor
Summary: Set between The Last Olympian and The Lost Hero. Percy is trying to befriend Nico but ends up hurting the son of Hades... rated T cause I am paranoid. One-sided Percico.
1. Chapter 1

**This story is for TheFanGirlAsdfghjkl. She requested a story about Nico snapping at Percy for acting like he cared and then running away. I hope you like it. :-) **

**It is set in the October after The Last Olympian and before The Lost Hero.**

**Important thing to note... This will be yaoi (boy-boy). Don't like? You do not have to read.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus series. (One can dream though) All rights go to the proper parties.**

ΩΩΩ

**Nico POV**

I didn't know why I was at Camp. No one wanted me there. I didn't belong there. I frowned and glared at the ground. I was lying to myself. I knew exactly why I was there. I tried to stop my eyes but they darted of their own violation to the lone figure sitting by the beach.

Percy Jackson...

My frown deepened and I looked away. I shouldn't be thinking about him but I couldn't help myself. I bit my lip and looked back at the son of Poseidon. I was surprised that he was alone. Ever since the end of the Titan War he had been practically joined at the hip to his new girlfriend Annabeth Chase.

_Speak of the devil..._

I watched as the blond daughter of Athena came out of her cabin and walked to the beach. When she got close Percy jumped to him feet and wrapped her in a hug. I had to look away.

I had finished helping them build the cabin for my father Hades. It would be better for my spirit if I just left. I couldn't stand to be around the son of the sea god. Every time I saw him with **her** my heart broke a little more.

I had been in love with him since the day I had first met him. He had saved me and my sister from the manticore. He was a hero from the old tales brought to life. I had tried to bury my feelings but I couldn't. Even after my sister died, I tried to hate him but it was impossible. No matter how hard I fought against it, I couldn't stop loving him. It was wrong. Not only did he have a girlfriend, but he could never see me like that. Not the way I saw him. After all, he was straight, and I was just a skinny son of Hades.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't hear someone come up behind me. Before I could react they had grabbed me around the stomach and were fighting me to the ground. I fought back but I was out matched. It only took a few seconds before I was pinned to the ground with their weight on top of me.

I looked up into sea-green eyes and my breath caught in my throat.

Percy laughed and shook his pitch black hair out of his eyes. He playfully poked me in the chest. "You're losing your edge Nico. You didn't hear me coming. I wasn't even trying to be quiet."

The way he was smiling at me had my heart trying to beat out of my chest. It was unfair that anyone should be that handsome, and kind, and good, and strong, and brave, and...

I swallowed down the emotion and put all of my self-hatred into a glare aimed at the stunningly beautiful boy on top of me. "Get off me."

Percy's grin faded a little but he did as I asked. He stood up and offered me a hand but I ignore it. "I'm sorry Nico. I didn't mean to make you angry. You looked sad; I was hoping that I could..."

I glared at the demigod next to me. He was so oblivious. "That you could what? Cheer me up by throwing me to the ground?"

I saw him blush and rub the back of his neck. He looked at me with sad, sea-green eyes, like a baby seal. He looked so adorable in that moment, I had to look away.

"I'm sorry. Maybe it wasn't my best idea."

I scoffed and shook my head. I looked around and noticed that the daughter of wisdom was nowhere to be seen. "So where's Annabeth?"

Percy perked up at the mention of his girlfriend and it felt like a knife to the chest when he got a dopey, lovesick, smile on his face. "Oh, she left. She is going to spend the next few weeks with her dad in San Francisco. Which reminds me," He turned his gaze to me and flashed me a smile that put the sun to shame. "Do you want to come to my house?"

I frowned to cover the emotions I was feeling inside and tried not to get my hopes up. "Why?"

Percy started nearly bouncing in place and I was reminded of a puppy. He could be so childish sometimes, but that was just another part of his charm. "It's the last week of October, you know what that means? Halloween! Which translates to, loads of candy!"

I tilted my head, "What does that have to do with me going to your house?"

Percy laughed and put his hand on my shoulder. I hesitated for a moment before I pulled away with a glare. He raised his hands in defense but his smile stayed in place. "My mom said that I could have a friend over for a sleepover. What to come?"

I felt my heart tear in half. "A friend...?"

Percy was as oblivious as always and kept on smiling. "Of course you're my friend. You're like a brother to me."

The first half of his sentence had driven a knife into my heart and the second half twisted it. Percy would never love me... I was like a brother to him.

The pain made my voice even darker than I meant it. "I don't need your pity."

Percy's eyes widened and he took a step back, "Pity? What are you...?"

I gave him my darkest glare and took a step back. "Do me a favour Percy and stop pretending like you care. No one wants to be around the guy who can summon zombies so save your sympathy for someone who cares. Just leave me alone, or better yet, stay out of my life all together."

I was already regretting my words but I couldn't take them back.

I had to get away. The pain in my heart was more than I could bear. I heard him trying to call out to me but I ignore him and allowed the shadows to pull me where they would.

ΩΩΩ

I didn't go back to camp for two weeks. I had known at the time that I would regret my words but I could never have pictured just how much.

When I returned I heard the news...

Percy was missing.


	2. Chapter 2

**So this was originally going to be a one-shot but I decided to post a second chapter. It is Nico's reaction when he finds Percy at Camp Jupiter. I will hopefully have the third and final chapter posted in the next few hours.  
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**Important thing to note... This will be yaoi (boy-boy). Don't like? You do not have to read.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus series. (One can dream though) All rights go to the proper parties.**

ΩΩΩ

**Nico POV**

It had been eight months since I had stayed at camp for more than a few hours at a time. Eight months since anyone had heard a whisper of where Percy was. Eight months since I had last spoken to him...

I tried not to think about what might have made him leave; if I did I was overcome with a sense of shame.

I regretted my words more than ever. For the first few weeks I thought that he might be mad at me and that he would return when he cooled down. But weeks turned into months and no one, not even his mom or Annabeth, knew where he went.

Camp half blood had sent out search parties. I was never asked to help with those but I searched on my own anyway. I needed to find him, to tell him that I was sorry. I searched the country for any hint of the missing son of Poseidon without any success.

What was even worse was that the gods had pulled away without warning or reason. We wanted to ask Apollo if he had seen him but they had shut Mount Olympus. We weren't even sure if our prayers were getting through.

My only consolation was that he was alive. I would have known if he wasn't. I was so in tune with his soul that I would know immediately if something had happened to him.

However rather than make me feel relieved, it made me even more nervous. There was no way that Percy would willingly disappear for so long without a word. What creature was so powerful that they could hold the son of the sea god for eight months? The only beings I knew who were strong enough would be the gods themselves. But Percy was the hero of Olympus, why would they want to kidnap him?

I tried to distract myself but all I could see was the pain in his eyes the last time we had spoken. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I lay back on the ground and tried to get some sleep. My dreams lately had been full of visions. Visions of death chained.

My father hadn't confirmed it to me but he didn't have to. The doors of death were open and souls were no longer being held in the underworld. It was how I had gotten my sister out.

I frowned and opened my eyes. I had gone to the underworld back in September, before Percy had disappeared, in order to bring back Bianca only to find that she had chosen to be reborn. I was walking through the fields of Asphodel when I sensed a spirit that stood out. I followed the feeling to a young girl. She was standing beside a white poplar tree.

I instantly knew that she was a daughter of the underworld. I had made a quick decision and decided that, even if I couldn't bring Bianca back, I would save the young girl. I explained to her who I was and what she was. I offered her a second chase to earn Elysium and she agreed.

I had brought her to Camp Jupiter. My father had told me about it last summer; it was a camp for the children of their Roman alter-egos. I was told that I couldn't tell anyone but that I would need to know about it one day soon. I had yet to figure out why Hades had shown it to me. I sighed and glared at the stars. Just another secret...

I was so tired of lying to the world. Just once I wished that I could be honest, that I didn't have to lie. I rolled onto my side and stared into the flame of my campfire. I was currently searching for Percy in Ohio. Why Ohio? Because it was just as likely as anywhere else that I had already searched without luck.

I was getting desperate. I had searched the country; I had been to every state in the continental United States and even into the southern parts of Canada, all with no luck. It was like searching for a needle in the middle of a wheat field...

I curdled into my sleeping bag and reached out with my mind to try and trace Percy's spirit. I had tried it several times a day since he disappeared. I no longer expected it to work, it was just a habit.

I had nearly drifted off when I felt a soft brush against my conscious. I instantly sat up and gasped. It felt faded, different than it normally did. But even after so many months, I knew what it was.

Percy's spirit felt like a cool breeze off the ocean on a hot day. It was relaxing and calming, I instantly felt it soothing my soul. I focused my mind and tried to trace it before it disappeared. I felt a tug west before it flickered out once more.

I didn't even bother to pack up my camp. I just threw everything into my sleeping bag. If Percy was west, then that is where I would go. I stepped into the nearest shadow and was gone.

ΩΩΩ

I rubbed my hands through my hair. I had felt the pulse for the first time over a week ago. I had felt it off and on ever since. I contemplated telling his mom so that she wouldn't worry as badly but I didn't want to get her hopes up. I wouldn't feel confident in my tracking until I saw the beautiful sea prince standing before me.

I had tracked him to California. I had no idea what he was doing there but I was fairly certain that was where he was. I could never feel the pulse of his spirit for more than a few seconds. It was never long enough to pin-point his location.

I was in Los Angeles searching when I felt the strongest sense of his being since the last time I had seen him face to face. I had a view of either hills or mountains, I couldn't tell which, before it disappeared. I could feel with absolute certainty that he was in California.

I felt my heart swell with hope. Percy was alive and from what I felt he wasn't even injured. But then again, with the curse of Achilles, that was kind of impossible. I hadn't even known the depth of my worries until I felt that he was safe. I wasn't sure where he was but I could tell I was getting closer.

The other thing that the pulse had told me was that he wasn't in Los Angeles. I frowned and tried to think of a faster way to find him. Now that I knew that he was in California I might be able to convince my sister to help me look. I couldn't tell Camp Jupiter about him but Hazel was different. I knew I could trust her.

ΩΩΩ

New Rome looked the same as it had the last time I had been there. It was the beauty of the Roman Empire nestled in the valleys of California. I wouldn't have told anyone but I thought that it was the most beautiful city that I had ever been to.

I liked the way that the roman's worked together. Even if Hazel and I were not accepted, children of the underworld were still more respected here that at camp half blood. It was just the roman way; everyone had a part on the team. I may have preferred to be alone but it was nice to feel semi accepted.

I would have loved it even more than camp half blood if it wasn't for the fact that at the Greek camp, I was free to do whatever I wanted. In New Rome I was the ambassador of Pluto, I had actually duties, so I couldn't disappear in the middle of a conversation. Plus at camp half-blood there was a certain son of the sea god, or at least there would be once I found him and brought him home.

I walked up the paved streets towards the temple of Pluto. I knew that if I stood there for a while, someone would tell my sister and she would come find me. It was far easier than searching the city for her. Besides, I would freak less people out this way. I may have been more respected her than at camp half blood but people were still terrified of me.

I started thinking about Percy. I really hoped that Hazel would be able to help me. Two people were hardly a search party but her help would still double the eyes looking for him in California. I once again started to wonder if I should send an Iris message back to camp telling them of my lead. I really didn't want to be surrounded by people who hated and feared me but if it meant that Percy would be safe, then maybe it was the right thing to do...

I decided that if by next week, I had still not found the son of Poseidon that I would call for help. I may have not wanted the help but Percy meant far more to me than my pride. I had proven that to myself time and time again.

I hadn't even realized that I was glaring until I saw people walking to the other side of the road to get out of my way. I found it ridiculous. A faun was sitting on the street in front of me, when he looked up and saw me he paled. I frowned at him and he tripped over his hoofs to get out of the way. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

_No matter where I go it's the same thing. The only one who was never really afraid of me was Percy._

I stood outside my father's temple and waited.

I loved his temple. It was not nearly as big as many of the others, but it was beautiful. The roman's had built the temple of Pluto because they had too. Hades was not a popular god in either the Greek or the Roman worlds. They would never love him or accept him, but they did fear and respect him. Kind of like how they treated me.

I was so caught up in my thought's I didn't hear someone coming until Hazel called out to me.

"Hey," Hazel called. "I've brought a friend."

I turned around to face my sister and my breath caught in my throat. I was stunned. Standing right next to her was Percy.

He looked the exact same as the last time I had seen him. The only difference was that he was covered in dirt, like he had been sleeping on the ground for the last few weeks. His shirt was in tatters. It was obvious just by looking at him that he had been fighting for his life.

I began to panic. _What is he doing here? He is not supposed to be here..._

I saw a look of confusion on his face. He looked lost and he didn't seem to recognize me. I didn't understand what was going on but I decided that I would play along until I understood what was happening.

"This is Percy Jackson," Hazel said. "He's a good guy. Percy, this is my brother, the son of Pluto."

It took me less than a second to process all of that and school my facial expressions into a blank mask. I held out my hand for him to shake.

"Pleased to meet you," he said. "I'm Nico di Angelo."


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is the final chapter. Nico's thoughts as he spoke to Percy. :-) Enjoy.**

**Important thing to note... This will be yaoi (boy-boy). Don't like? You do not have to read.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus series. (One can dream though) All rights go to the proper parties.**

ΩΩΩ

**Nico POV**

Out the corner of my eye I saw Hazel watching us warily. She looked like she was afraid that I would attack him. I mentally laughed at the thought. There was no chance that I would purposely hurt Percy Jackson.

Percy reached out and warily took my hand. I shivered slightly at the contact. I was so happy and relieved to find him safe. It was all I could do to not throw my arms around him and pull him into a hug.

Percy scowled and released my hand. "I... I know you." I was very confused. The way he said it sounded more like a question than a statement.

"Do you?" I raised one eyebrow and looked at my sister.

Hazel gave me a searching look. I had a feeling that I hadn't been very convincing. I was usually a great liar, but I had been taken aback by seeing Percy for the first time in eight months in a place he was not supposed to even know about. I knew that I hadn't been as convincing as I should have been.

My half sister bit her lip and spoke, "Um…Percy's lost his memory."I forced myself to keep my expression blank. I had no idea what I had expected but, whatever it was, that was not it. "So, Nico… I thought…you know, you travel all over. Maybe you've met demigods like Percy before or..."

I felt my expression darken. I didn't want to lie; especially not to the two people I loved most in the world. I hated my father for putting me in this position. I saw Hazel pale a little and I knew she had gotten the message to drop it.

I knew that I needed to change the subject. I did not know why Percy was here but I knew that he was there for a reason. Someone had messed with his mind. It still hurt me to know that he didn't remember me.

I rubbed the back of my neck. "This story about Gaea's army, you warned Reyna?"

Percy nodded but he had a confused look on his face. "Who is Gaea, anyway?"

I glanced at the Earth. The fact that she was waking was a troubling thought. I tried not to think of the fact that she could be listening to us right now.

"She's the earth goddess, the oldest goddess of all. She's in a deep sleep most of the time, but she hates the gods and their children."

Percy looked at me in confusion and amusement. The look he was giving me made me think of a puppy when you pretend to throw a ball and kept it in your hand. He was being far too adorable for his own good. "Mother Earth... is evil?"

"Very," I nodded. I knew that Percy often found humor in everything but I hoped to make him take Gaea seriously. "She convinced her son, the Titan Kronos... um, I mean, Saturn... to kill his dad, Uranus, and take over the world. The Titans ruled for a long time. Then the Titans' children, the Olympian gods, overthrew them."

"That story seems familiar," Percy sounded surprised, like an old memory had partially surfaced. "But I don't think I ever heard the part about Gaea."

I silently sighed. It hurt me to see my sea prince forgetting his own history. To forget that less than a year ago he personally defeated Kronos. I forced the thought away, that train of thought would not help the savior of Olympus regain his memories.

I shrugged. "She got mad when the gods took over. She took a new husband... Tartarus, the spirit of the abyss... and gave birth to a race of giants. They tried to destroy Mount Olympus, but the gods finally beat them. At least…the first time."

Percy was hanging on my every word. I knew that it was just because in a city of strangers, he almost remembered me, but it still sent a warm feeling to my heart, "The first time?"

I shrugged and continued. It was probably okay to tell him the basics, he would need to know. "Last summer, Saturn tried to make a comeback. There was a second Titan war. The Romans at Camp Jupiter stormed his headquarters on Mount Othrys, across the bay, and destroyed his throne. Saturn disappeared..." I hesitated, watching Percy's face. I was both nervous and excited at the prospect of more of Percy's memory coming back.

After a short moment it was clear that it wasn't going to happen. I withheld a sigh and continued the story. "Um, anyway, Saturn probably faded back to the abyss. We all thought the war was over. Now it looks like the Titans' defeat stirred up Gaea. She's starting to wake. I've heard reports of giants being reborn. If they mean to challenge the gods again, they'll probably start by destroying the demigods.…"

"You've told Reyna this?"

That was one of the things I loved most about Percy. It didn't matter what you told him. If he had decided to trust you he would believe you without a second though, regardless of how farfetched an idea or story was. I was pleased to know that he still trusted me, even if he no longer knew me.

I tensed my jaw. I wished that others would believe me the way he did, "Of course. The Romans don't trust me. That's why I was hoping she'd listen to you. Children of Pluto…well, no offense, but they think we're even worse than children of Neptune. We're bad luck."

Percy frowned. He had always believed that all demigods should be accepted. He was the reason I had a cabin. He had turned down immortality so that all demigods would be claimed and have a home.

"They let Hazel stay here,"

I sighed, "That's different."

"Why?"

Before I could answer Hazel cut me off. "Percy, look, the giants aren't the worst problem. Even... even Gaea isn't the worst problem. The thing you noticed about the gorgons, how they wouldn't die, that's our biggest worry." She looked at me. She was getting dangerously close to her own secret now. I knew that she didn't want anyone finding out, and for good reason at that, but she didn't stop. I was happy to see that my sister was already beginning to trust the son of Poseidon. She took a deep breath and continued. "Nico and I, we think that what's happening is…Death isn't..."

Before she could finish, a shout came from down the hill.

I looked behind me and saw Frank running up to us. He reached the shrine and smiled at us. "Hey, Nico…"

"Frank." I smiled.

I liked Frank. Not only was he the only one at camp who wasn't uneasy around Hazel and I, but it was also clear that he and my sister liked each other. As far as guys went, she could do worse than the Canadian. He seemed like a pretty decent guy. Plus he did still fear me a little which would mean that he would be sure to treat her well. I hoped that they would be allowed to be together for a while before she was brought back to the underworld. I knew how it felt to never be able to be with the one you loved. She deserved to be happy.

"Reyna sent me to get Percy, did Octavian accept you?"

"Yeah," Percy frowned. "He slaughtered my panda."

I had to keep myself from laughing. Percy seemed highly upset over that fact. I knew Octavian so I could guess that the panda was some kind of stuffed animal. The fact that Percy had a stuffed panda was beyond cute.

"He…oh, the augury? Yeah, teddy bears must have nightmares about that guy. But you're in! We need to get you cleaned up before evening muster."

Hazel looked around and nodded. "You're right, we'd better..."

I had to interrupt; I needed to speak with my sister. Plus I needed to get away from Percy before I said something that would tip him off.

"Frank, why don't you take Percy down? Hazel and I will be along soon."

I could tell that Hazel was anxious. "That's... that's a good idea. Go ahead, guys. We'll catch up."

Percy looked at me one more time, as though he was still trying to place a memory. The fact that he couldn't remember anything yet he almost remembered me sent a warm feeling to the pit of my stomach. I knew that Percy didn't love me, not in the way that I loved him, but I knew that he cared about me.

Percy looked into my eyes and I felt myself falling into the ocean of green. "I'd like to talk with you some more. I can't shake the feeling..."

I mentally shook my head. I could not afford to be distracted by him. I didn't know exactly what was going on but I had a gut feeling that I wasn't supposed to tell him. I needed him to leave. The way he was looking at me, it was only a matter of time before I broke down and told him everything. I had never been able to resist helping him.

"Sure, later. I'll be staying overnight."

"You will?" Hazel blurted. I had to keep myself from smirking. My sister sounded far more shocked than I felt the situation called for.

In fairness, I hardly ever stayed. I probably would have left again if it wasn't for the fact that Percy was here. I knew that I couldn't tell him what was going on, but I also couldn't resist the urge to spend a little more time with the son of the sea god. After eight months, I was not going to let him go so easily.

"Go on, Percy, settle in. My sister and I need to talk."

Frank started to walk away and Percy hesitantly followed. I couldn't help but watch him go.

He was almost out of sight when he turned back to look at me once more. I felt my heart start to beat wildly in my chest. The knowledge that Percy was really in New Rome was finally sinking in. I had no idea what he was doing there but I was happy that he was safe. In a world where demigods die so young, it was a relief to know that he had found one of only two safe places for our kind.

I hated that I couldn't tell him the truth. I loved him more than I loved anyone else, and yet I couldn't even tell him who he was. The pain I felt at that knowledge pierced me like a knife, yet I knew it was right. Whatever had happened to him, he needed to figure it out on his own.

I bit my lip as I watched him turn the corner. I knew that once he regained his memories he would be furious at me. It would hurt me, this would be the second time I had unintentionally betrayed him. I could only hope that I could convince him that I was right in the end.


End file.
